


The Shine of the Headlights

by mutents



Series: The Road Before Us [8]
Category: Father Brown (2013)
Genre: Cheating, F/M, Heat Stroke, Summer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-28
Updated: 2017-05-28
Packaged: 2018-11-05 18:38:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11019237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mutents/pseuds/mutents
Summary: “Carter, be careful with that shelf!” Sir Kensington shouted from his garden chair.





	The Shine of the Headlights

**Author's Note:**

> Set in the Summer of 1951.

“Carter, be careful with that shelf!” Sir Kensington shouted from his garden chair.

Sid rolled his eyes, but tried to make a noticeable effort to be more careful with the furniture. He didn’t quite understand why the man insisted on watching Sid move the man’s furniture, but Felicia had told him he needed to be kind to this man; she apparently had pulled some strings with Monty to get him this gig. The man had also requested Lady Felicia to be there as well.

“And how has your daughter been, Ambrose?” Felicia asked, her large smile rather obviously fake. She picked up her lemonade, taking a sip to hide her annoyance.

Sid smirked, pausing before grabbing the shelves down from his truck and carrying it into the man’s sitting room. After setting it down, he paused for a few moments, leaning against the piece of furniture. He was feeling rather dizzy suddenly, and he needed a second to regain his balance.

As he stepped back outside, he put his hand up over his eyes to block out the sun. He’d been feeling a migraine coming on for nearly an hour now, and it seemed like his head had finally given up the battle.

“I understand that Lacy has decided to go to France for the summer, yes?” Sid heard Felicia asked. He glanced over at the two, and felt a bit annoyed watching them sit there. Why weren’t they helping, again?

He shook his head, moving back to the truck, pulling the large steamer trunk to the edge of the bed. He tried to pick it up, but suddenly found himself struggling with it. It was odd; he could clearly remember loading it into the back without any trouble…

“Is everything alright, Sidney?” Felicia called to him, no longer focused on Sir Kensington.

Sid nodded slowly, grabbing the trunk from the back and stumbling with it into the same sitting room. He once more paused, leaning against steamer, before staggering back out into the sun. He paused again, this time against the front door’s jamb. He didn’t realize that Felicia had joined him on the steps until he felt her hands on his shoulder.

“Sidney?” She asked, looking up at him. He let himself lean against her heavily, putting most of his weight on her. “Is everything alright?” She asked, her face concerned.

“I... Actually… I’m not feeling all that well,” he slurred, before he felt himself drop.

* * *

“Put him on the bed, you two,” Felicia said, her tone concerned. “And, Fred could you please send the doctor up here as soon as he arrives?”

“Of course, your ladyship,” Fred said, giving her a nod.

“Thank you so much, Fred,” she said giving him a tired smile before he ducked out of the room. It was usually Sid who helped her with these sorts of things. When one of her newer maids had passed out a few months ago, he had carried her up to her room. This time, with Sid down for the count, it had taken both Sir Kensington and his butler to get Sid into the truck, and once Felicia had gotten back to the estate, Roger and Fred her horse master to get him into a bed.

“Roger, could you please bring a few cloths and a basin of cold water, please?”

“Yes, your ladyship,” Roger said, giving her a nod of his own before leaving the room.

Felicia moved towards the vanity, picking up the stool that was there and setting it to the side of her bed. She sat down on the small seat, reaching out for his hand and taking it gently in hers. “Oh Sidney,” she murmured, stroking her thumb against the back of his hand. “What have you gotten yourself into?”

He’d seemed fine as he unloaded, at least for the first few trips in and out of the house. But, over time he’d gotten less steady on his feet. Sid, who was usually a picture of health, who had only ever gotten ill the time Flambeau had poisoned his pint, and she felt like that hardly counted. She thought back over the past five years, trying to remember if he’d even so much as coughed. She couldn’t come up with a single time, while on the other end of the spectrum he had nursed her back to health every winter.

“Your ladyship,” Roger murmured, placing the basin and strips of cloths on the side table. Felicia jumped slightly, looking at the butler – she’d been so focused on Sidney that she hadn’t heard the door open and him come in. She swiped a hand across her face, wiping away the tears she hadn’t realized she’d shed.

“Oh, thank you Roger…” She said, letting go of Sid’s hand and picking up one of the strips, dipping it in the basin and wringing it out and placing it against Sid’s forehead.

She was surprised to feel a hand against her shoulder, and looked up at Roger. “I’m sure that he’ll be just fine, your ladyship,” he said, his voice still quiet.

She gave him a tired smile, placing her hand over his and giving it a gentle pat.

She heard a heavy knock at the door and turned towards it. “Come it,” she called, letting go of Roger’s hand and standing from the stool.

“Lady Felicia,” Dr. Gladstone said, stepping into the room and giving her a smile. “I understand that the patient is in here,” he continued, moving towards the bed.

“Yes. Sid was moving some furniture for Sir Kensington and he… He just dropped,” she said, turning her attention back to the man on the bed.

Dr. Gladstone nodded, sitting on the edge of the bed and feeling at Sid’s wrist. “His pulse is normal… Did he seem out of character?”

“He was slower than usual, and he appeared to be struggling with some of the furniture. I thought it was rather odd because he’s never had any issue with lifting things before. He also was stumbling around, almost like he was drunk.”

Dr. Gladstone nodded again, opening his medical bag and grabbing a thermometer from inside, slipping it into Sid’s mouth and under his tongue. He moved his hand to Sid’s forehead, feeling it with the back of his hand. “He’s extremely warm…” He muttered, before turning towards Felicia. “I’m placing my money on it being heatstroke,” he said. “Your butler should draw a cool bath; we need to cool his body down quickly.”

Felicia nodded, turning to tell Roger to do that, unsurprised to see him already moving towards her in suite bathroom. “Will he be alright?” She asked, turning her attention back to Dr. Gladstone.

“So long as we get him into the bath soon,” he said, lifting Sid’s upper body off the bed. “Can you please move his feet off the bed?” He asked, looking at her.

“Of course,” she said, quickly moving to the bed and shifting his feet onto the floor. As she stood back up, she watched the doctor put Sid’s arm over his shoulder, and quickly moved to do the same with his other arm.

“Now, your ladyship…” Dr. Gladstone said. “We can certainly wait for your butler to get back…”

“Nonsense,” Felicia said, straightening up and taking Sid with her. “If we need to get him in quickly, we hardly have time to wait for Roger.”

The doctor sighed, but straightened as well and started walking towards the bathroom door. It took them a minute or so to get the taller man into the bath, and the both let out a groan as they stood back up.

“How long will it take?” Felicia asked, crossing her arms.

“It really depends,” Dr. Gladstone said, crossing his own arms. “How long had he been unloading the furniture?”

“For a few hours.”

“I can’t imagine it should take more than an hour for him to came back around, than.” Felicia gave him a nod. “If you’d like, I can stay with him, your ladyship. I’m sure you have something else you’d rather be doing than looking after your driver…”

Felicia gave him a look and shook her head. “No, no… I’ll stay here. But, I’m sure if you’d like, Roger can get you a cup of tea,” she said, nodding towards her butler.

“I really ought to…” he began, looking between the other three people in the room.

“I insist,” Felicia said, her tone sharp.

“But…”

“Dr. Gladstone, please, follow me,” Roger said, gesturing towards the door.

The doctor blustered for a few moments before finally moving out of the room. Felicia gave Roger a warm smile as he stepped out of the room, who gave her a nod in return and closed the behind him.

Felicia moved towards the bathtub, perching on the edge and dipping her hand into the water; it was far colder than she knew Sid liked the bathwater to be. She brought her hand up to his forehead, feeling it the same way that the doctor had. He _was_ incredibly warm, far warmer than he usually was.

* * *

She’d been sitting with Sid for nearly a half an hour when she felt him shift in the water. His movements were incredibly slow and sluggish as he brought his arms out of the tub, moving up in the bath.

“Where am I?” He murmured, his eyes squeezed shut.

“You’re back at the estate,” Felicia said, running her hand through his slightly damp hair. “You passed out while moving Sir Kensington’s furniture.”

Sid groaned loudly. “Never going to hear the bloody end of that, am I?” He asked.

She chuckled sadly, shaking her head. “No, probably not,” she murmured, moving her hand to cup his cheek, rubbing her thumb against his skin. “You had me quite worried there, Sidney…”

Sid nodded, giving her a tired smile. “Sorry about that, Felicia,” he whispered, bringing his own hand up to cover hers before bringing them down onto the edge of the tub. “Though, in my defense, hardly planned on passing out when I rolled out of bed this morning.”

She gave his hand a squeeze. “I didn’t imagine that you had. That doesn’t make having you collapse against me any better.”

Sid nodded, before letting go of her hand and standing in the tub. “Good thing I keep some spare clothing here, eh?” He asked, starting to strip out of his wet clothes.

She smiled at him, standing up and moving back to her room, grabbing a dry shirt, undershirt, pants, trousers, and socks for Sid. As she stepped back into the bathroom, she paused for a few moments to appreciate the sight of Sid taking off his clothes.

As Sid dropped the soaking items onto the floor, he looked up at her. “Really?” He asked, his voice tired. She noticed that he was slumping where he stood, and she set the stack of clothing by the door, grabbing a towel before moving to help him step out of the tub. She wrapped him in the towel before helping him out of the bathroom, settling him on the stool she’d been using before the doctor had arrived.

“That was much harder to do then it should have been,” Sid muttered, panting slightly.

“Catch your breath; I’m going to go and get your clothing.”

Sid nodded, leaning over and putting his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.

Felicia quickly ducked back into the other room, grabbing the stack of clothing and another towel, bringing them into her room. She put them on her bed, before helping to dry him off. Once he’d been dried off, she helped him stand.

“Can’t this wait a few more minutes?” He asked, his words quiet. “I haven’t caught my breath back yet.”

“I can hardly have you sitting here in my bedroom in the buff! Think of what Mrs. McCarthy would say!” She exclaimed, bringing her hand to her mouth in mock shock.

Sid rolled his eyes, but let her help him into his pants. Once she’d settled the cloth on his hips, he dropped heavily back down onto the stool. “Alright, I’m done,” he whispered, his voice weak. “I’m too tired for this.”

Felicia placed her hand softly on his shoulder, patting him gently. “That’s fine, Sid,” she murmured, leaning over to press her lips to his hair. “You rest. I’m going to go and get Dr. Gladstone.”


End file.
